Improved stand for preserve-jars



' l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KATE E. ASHLEY, OF VILLIAMSBURG, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED STAND FOR PRESERVE-JARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,674, dated October 8l, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, KATE E. ASHLEY, of Williamsburg, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Preserving Fruit, Src.; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled inthe art to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which-- Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of this invention, the line x x, Fig. 2, indicatingthe plane of section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates particularly to a stand to be used for lifting jars in and out of hot water when the same are to beused in the process of preserving fruits and vegetables.

In the ordinary process of sealing jars said jars are immersed in boiling water as far as can be without allowing the water to enter the mouths or open parts of the same, and in carrying out this operation much inconvenience is experienced in putting the jars in and lifting them out of the vessel of hot water, so much so that, often the lingers are scalded, and jars, in consequence thereof, are dropped and broken, causing their contents to be lost. Furthermore, great care must be taken to prevent thejars from coming in contact with the bottom of the vessel of hot water in which they may be placed, and to effect this pieces of wood or layers of straw or other material must be placed beneath the jars, which material, by reason of the motion of the water or through the jarsfloating from it, often becomes displaced, and thereby the jars are caused to be broken and their contents are lost. Be-

sides these inconveniences, it is also necessary two disks, a b, of iron, tin, or other suitable material, which are held apart by three (more or less) uprights, c, and suitable legs, cl, under the lowest disk, b, complete the stand. Tile upper disk, a., is perforated with three (more or less) holes, c, each large enough to admit a jar of the largest size used for preserving fruit or other materials.

In order to adapt the openings for jars of smaller size, eccentric disks or cams j' are applied near the edge of the said openings, and by turning vsaid disks they can be made to grasp the jar and hold it Iirm in the openingin which it may be placed. Said eccentric disks or cams may be arranged on horizontal or ou vertical. axles, or any other suitable devices,

such as wedges, may be applied to produce the desired effect.

The bottom disk, b, of the stand A is also perforated with three (more or less) holes, g; but these holes simply serve to allow the boiling water to pass freely all around the jars, and in order to prevent the jars from passing through said holes strips h, of wood or any other suitable material, are fastened across the same, and these bars or rests may be straight or curved, or made in any desirable form or shape, and they may be placed in grooves or between ears.

The stand is made to it into a vessel, B, of tinned sheet-iron or other suitable material, with or without a cover, and it is provided with one or more bails, t', by means of which it can be conveniently handled.

By the use of this stand all accidents, losses, and disappointments are prevented, and the operation of preserving is rendered at once easy, convenient, and economical, inasmuch as it holds the jars from the bottom of the boiler in which they may be placed, keeps them apart while boiling, and all can be lifted out without danger of scalding the hands.

It must be remembered that the construction of the stand A can be changed in various different ways. For instance, the upper disk with its openings might be dispensed with, and the bottom disk might then be provided with such suitable devices as should serve to keep the jars from slipping upon the same, or the upper disk might be so arranged that it could be easily detached from the uprights or lifted from the vessel containing boiling water, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Making the holes e in the disk a adjustable by earns f or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose described.

KATE yE. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, WM. E. LYoN. 

